Cooling combustion-engine air supply by ammonia



JuEy 10, 1951 w 1- 2,559,814

COOLING COMBUSTION ENGINE AIR SIPPLY BY AMMONIA M & N

RING

MANIFO iZA RING

MANIFOLDS an! 2 -v 2 2: O

19 cum NO MAL ALTITUDE cowswsxron 4-. Attor I??? Patented July 10, 1951 COOLING COMBUSTION -ENGINE AIR. SUPPLY BY AMLIONIA Frank Whittle, Rugby, England, assignor to Power Jets (Research &

London, England Application October 18 Development) limited,

1945, Serial No. 623,131 Great Britain November 17, 1942 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires November 17, 1962 11 Claims. (CI. 60-41) This invention is concerned with the use of ammonia primarily as a refrigerant but also for other purposes, supplied to the working air of a combustion engine wherein a reduction of intake air temperature is effective to enhance performance. The term "combustion engine" is intended to include combustion gas turbines in which air, being the working fluid, is compressed, heated by combustion of fuel therein, and expanded through a turbine which drives the compressor; and internal combustion engines in the more usual sense of reciprocating engines in which the compression, combustion, and expansion occur in cylinders, whether or not there is also initial compression in a supercharger, and for the purposes of this specification the term is to be interpreted as meaning such engines whenever they are such as to have their performance enhanced by a reduction of intake air temperature An object of the invention is to improve the propulsive thrust of gas turbine power plant of aircraft, especially one of which all or substantial part of the available work is in the form of a jet for reaction-propulsion.

Another object is to improve the performance of a supercharged or a normally-aspirated internal combustion engine.

Another object is, more specifically, to provide means for temporarily boosting the power of a combustion engine, the outstanding example being for aircraft take-oil or where for operational reasons a comparatively short burst of extra power is required.

Another object is to mitigate or obviate the formation of ice at the air intake of a combustion engine.

Another object is to reduce working temperatures whereby in some cases an engine may be worked at a higher rating than might otherwise be the case.

Another object is to aflord refrigeration or cooling of the intake air, whilst replacing a proportion of the fuel normally used by the refrigerant itself.

The primary effect of the ammonia as proposed to be used, is to act as a coolant or refrigerant by vaporisation, whereby the density of the air into which it is injected is increased whilst working temperatures may be lowered.

The idea underlying the invention is the provision of means for injecting liquid ammonia into the air entering a combustion engine in such a manner that the ammonia in evaporating cools this air which enters the engine in its cooled condition; the provision of means to facilitate rapid evaporation by atomisation; control means for the ammonia; and in particular an arrangement for installation in conjunction with a gas-turbine aircraft power plant of the kind previously mentioned.

It has been proposed previously to use ammonia as a fuel or an ingredient of fuel for an internal combustion engine. So far from utflizing the cooling eiiect of volatilization of the ammonia in such proposal, it was intended in such proposal to supply the required latent heat by heatexchanging means, for example deriving heat from engine waste heat sources. In the present invention the property of ammonia to burn with release of heat energy is secondary, and the invention is concerned with the use of ammonia as a coolant or refrigerant for the supplied air, and therefore with a technique directly opposed to any suggestion of supplying heat to the ammonia except at the expense of the temperature of the working air.

The invention will now be described by way of example, as a complete installation in conjunction with a gas-turbine jet-propulsion aircraft power plant, in which example it is assumed that the ammonia is intended primarily to be used for take-off boost.

The accompanying diagram illustrates the relevan \features of this installation.

The engine is one having a centrifugal compressor with bilateral air intakes at I, compressor casing 2, combustion chambers 3, and exhaust or propulsion pipe 4.

The normal fuel, e. g. kerosene, is supplied from a tank 5 through a cock 5A to a gear-pump 6 which is driven by the engine. The fuel under pressure then passes by the'main fuel pipe I to.

a ring manifold IA to individual burners 1B spraying within the combustion chambers 3. Branched from the pipe I is a return pipe 'IC including a relief-valve at 1D (which is preferably controlled by atmospheric pressure as in known practice) which passes fuel surplus to engine requirement, back into the tank 5. Next in the pipe 1 is the pilots control valve 8 which controls the rate of fuel supply to the burners 13. At 9 is a further valve, which is best described as a partial throttle and which is such as to permit alternatively free, or partly re,- stricted, flow of fuel. Next is a centrifugal governor I0 driven in accordance with engine speed and operating as a top-speed governor. Finally there is a stop-cock enabling the pilot to stop all fuel suphigh-pressure cock H which is a.

3 ply. It should be mentioned here that the practice is to provide the control valve 8 in such a way that when closed suihcient fuel passes for the engine to idle.

Branched from the pipe 'I is a pipe IE to a pressure-gauge IF indicating the burner pressure to the pilot. Also connected to pipe IE is a cylinder I2 with spring-loaded piston I2A from which extends a piston rod or equivalent connection I2B. The piston I2A and its spring, are such as to be forced outwards (i. e. to the left) when sufficient burner pressure exists.

The foregoing describes the fuel system proper. Its use and application as such being known to those accustomed to the art, will not be further described. It may however be mentioned that topspeed governors III now in use are not well adapted to operate over a wide range and for this reason the valve 9 (of which the function will be described) is introduced. The control valve 8 is operated by the pilot's throttle lever I3, shown full advanced i. e. open or on.

The engine is provided with an air pipe I4 from the casing 2, to supply pressure air to the pilot's cabin for altitude flight, and for heating. In this pipe is a shut-off valve A. There is a pipe I5 also from the compressor, supplying compressed air to the engine hearings in known manner: in this air pipe I5 is a shut-off valve I5A.

A pressure bottle It, preferably arranged to be readily jettisoned from the aircraft, contains liquid ammonia, at its vapour pressure. It discharges its contents through the ammonia pipe II, through a coupling "A of any suitable type allowing disconnection when jettisoning occurs. In the pipe I1 is the ammonia control valve I'IB, spring loaded towards "shut" and openable by the last stage of opening movement of the pilot's throttle lever I3, by virtue of a motionlosing connection shown at NC. The control valve 8 is arranged to be unaffected by this last stage of lever movement, unless in accordance with an alternative to fitting the valve 9, the valve 8 be arranged to partially close during this stage.

Next in the pipe I1 is a branch to a pressure cylinder III in which the ammonia pressure forces a piston I8A against spring-load, thereby moving a rod (or equivalent) connection I 8B which operates the valves or cocks 9, A and ISA. In the pipe I! further downstream is a shut-off cock I9 operated by the rod I2B. Finally, pipe I1 leads, branched, to the two air intakes I, where the ammonia is injected from two ring manifolds each having a row of atomising jets which may be plain holes or be of any convenient form such as the well-known centrifuging or swirl type. The following is the functional description. There is shown, at the throttle lever I3, a quadrant with an idling stop at I3A, a full-open stop I33, and a location at I3C. The normal operating range is from I3A to I3C, and this covers all control from idling to full throttle on normal fuel without ammonia. The usual practice is followed, that the governor III looks after the actual top speed of the engine, whilst the device at ID by compensating for altitude, leaves the movement range of the lever I3 unaffected by altitude. Assume the bottle IE to be fully charged, a pressure in the order of '70 lbs. per sq. inch (exact value determined by temperature) will exist in it. Now if the pilot moves the lever from I3C to I33, the valve 8 remains wide open, but the linkage at I'IC causes the valve "B to open. Ammonia now flows via I1, to be injected into the air at I. The ammonia pressure in the pipe II moves the rod I818 to shut off the bearing air (at ISA) shut off the cabin air (at MA) and restrict the flow of fuel in the pipe 'I (at 9) The bearing air is shut off to prevent ammonia from being pumped from the compressor to the bearings and into the lubricant; the cabin air is shut oil? to prevent gassing the occupants of the cabin with ammonia; and the fuel supply is reduced because the consequence of supplying combustible ammonia to the engine, is in effect to reduce the engines demand on normal fuel to an extent which the governor I!) may not be well adapted to cope, so that there might be a risk of overspeeding if the main fuel supply were not reduced by this additional means.

The valve I9 remains open so long as there is sufficient burner pressure (as registered at IE) to hold it open; if the burner pressure were to fall by engine failure or other reason, the valve I9 would close, stopping the ammonia supply, as would then be desirable.

When the contents of the bottle I6 are expended, the ammonia pressure obviously cease s to exert itself on the piston ISA, and consequently 9, MA and [5A, all re-open for normal service. Since comparatively short periods of ammonia use are contemplated, no harm will result from a like period of cessation of air supply to bearings.

As above mentioned, the valve 9 may be omitted if the control valve be so contrived that it closes slightly when lever I3 is moved from I3C to I33; but there is an advantage in the arrangement shown, in that independent of the pilot if the ammonia supply ceases the valve 9 reopens fully, automatically, so that full normal fuel supply is resumed. It is contemplated that for take-off, the engine will be run up to full normal speed, i. e. governed speed, prior to take-off; at the beginning of the take-off or during the run, the pilot moves lever I3 fully forward. Assuming burner pressure to be full and satisfactory, ammonia is thereupon supplied and simultaneously the normal fuel is throttled (by valve 9)\ so as to ensure that the governor Ill does not} have to approach an extremity of-or go beyondits operating threshold; the cabin air is cut off, also the bearing air. The aircraft being assumed to become airborne and to reach a certain height, the ammonia is fully expended. There will be a reduction of thrust noticeable to the pilot and comparable to the throttling back which is usual practice when comfortably airborne. Thereafter the pilot can return lever I3 to I36 or further back, as appropriate, and will, if the operation requires, jettison the bottle I3. If there were a partial or a complete engine failurev during the boost period, the ammonia would be automatically partially or wholly cut off by the valve l9: the arrangement of the piston I2A and its spring, and of the valve I9, may be made such as to confine this action to a narrow or a wide range of fuel pressure as may be expedient. If the pilot for any reason-for example an impending accident, cuts off fuel by the high pressure cock II, the ammonia is automatically cut off by the consequent failure of pressure in the cylinder I2.

The first effect of injecting ammonia is the cooling of the working air of the engine. This affords, in effect, an increased mass flow (rate of flow of air in terms of mass per unit time) which is a criterion of thrust. A further effect is to replace, as it were, a proportion of the normal fuel by ammonia. Another practical effect is in some cases to reduce the working gas temperature; since gas temperature is in general a limiting factor in the operation of a gas turbine this is an important effect, because the reduction of temperature will permit the engine to be run at a higher speed. Thrust increases very rapidly with speed, in the upper range of operational speed, so that an overspeed may be permitted with very great consequential increase of thrust. If full advantage is to be taken of this, the setting of the governor in may be caused to be adjusted to permit overspeed, by connection with the rod I! or, less preferably, from lever l3: this would provide what may be called governor over-ride.

The effectiveness of ammonia injection is largely dependent upon the relative humidity of the air, and consequently there may be an adjustment providede. g. associated with the valve llB-to allow flight-to-fiight variation of the rate of ammonia supply in accordance with ascertained atmospheric humidity. If ice conditions are to be met, the effect of ammonia at the intakes l, which constitute a region believed to be peculiarly sensitive to ice accretion may be to obviate or minimize accretion by (a) reducing the freezing point of water (b) raising the water temperature by exothermic action on going into solution. The ammonia injection system described may obviously be readily combined with further equipment such as local sprays, to prevent icing of regions other than those of the intakes I.

In an engine of the type pointed to in the foregoing description, no deleterious effects are found due to ammonia providing reasonable precautions are taken: and it has not been found necessary to modify the combustion system in order to cause combustion of the ammonia since perfection of that combustion is not sought. In some engines however, it may be found necessary to modify from existing practice, to develop reasonably fully the potential advantages of the invention.

I claim:

1. The combination of a combustion engine as defined, with a closed container for holding liquid ammonia, a conduit to lead liquid ammonia from said container to a working air intake of said engine, means for spraying said liquid ammonia directly into said intake to effect substantial coolin of the air entering said intake by evaporation of said liquid ammonia in said air, and valve means in said conduit to control the delivery of liquid ammonia therethrough.

2. The combination of a gas turbine aircraft power plant comprising a centrifugal compressor, means for burning fuel in the output thereof, and turbine means operated by the combustion products produced thereby and driving the compressor, with a container for liquid ammonia, a conduit for leading liquid ammonia to an air intake of said compressor, and a plurality of jet nozzles for spraying liquid ammonia directly into said air intake, to effect substantial cooling of air entering said intake by the evaporation of the said liquid ammonia therein.

3. The combination according to claim 1 further comprising a controllable normal fuel supply system for said engine, controllable supply system to inject liquid ammonia into the working air intake of said engine, and means to render the control of the normal fuel and control of the liquid ammonia interdependent.

4. The combination according to claim 3 further comprising single manually operable means to control liquid ammonia and normal fuel supply systems whereby the liquid ammonia system delivers ammonia only when the fuel supply system is controlled to deliver normal fuel at an appropriate rate.

5. The combination according to claim 1 further comprising a controllable normal fuel first supply system therefor, a controllable second supply system to deliver liquid ammonia to the working air intake of said engine for evaporation in and cooling of the air entering said intake, said air entering the engine in its cooled condition, valve means in said second system to prevent or allow delivery of ammonia, and pressure-operated means connected to said first system responsively to pressure of the normal fuel and connected to said valve means to render supply of ammonia dependent upon sufilciency of such pressure.

6. The combination according to claim 1 fur-'- ther comprising a controllable normal fuel first supply system therefor, a controllable second supply system to deliver liquid ammonia to the working air intake of said engine for evaporation in and cooling of the air entering said intake, said air entering the engine in its cooled condition, conduit means to deliver compressed air from said engine for ancillary use, valve means to control such air delivery and means to interrelate the delivery of ammonia in said second system with operation of said valve means.

'7. The combination according to claim 1 further comprising a controllable normal fuel first supply system therefor, a controllable second supply system to deliver liquid ammonia to the working air intake of saidengine for evaporation in and cooling of the air entering said intake, said air entering the engine in its cooled condition, conduit means to deliver compressed air from said engine for ancillary use, valve means to control such air delivery, and means operative by the pressure of ammonia in delivery through said second system to actuate said valve means.

8. In combination, a combustion gas turbine engine comprising an air compressor, burners to supply a normal fuel for combustion in the air compressed thereby, and a turbine operated by the combustion products thereof and driving the compressor, a normal fuel supply conduit to supply fuel under pressure to said burners, a throttle valve in said conduit, a second supply conduit for liquid ammonia under pressure, a control valve in said second conduit, and means to deliver liquid ammonia supplied by said second conduit for evaporation in and cooling of air received by said compressor, said air entering said compressor in its cooled condition.

9. The combination claimed in claim 8, further comprising stop valve means in said second supply conduit, and means actuated by the fuel pressure acting in said first conduit to control said stop valve means.

10. The combination claimed in claim 8, further comprising governor means responsive to engine speed and controlling the supply of normal fuel in said first conduit, flow-reducing valve means in said first conduit and means responsive to the delivery pressureof ammonia in said second conduit to actuate said flowreducing valve means.

11. A gas turbine aircraft power plant comprising an air compressor, means for burning 7 fuel in the output thereof, turbine means operated by the combustion products produced thereby and driving the compressor and means for injecting liquid ammonia directly into the air intake of said compressor whereby air entering said intake is cooled and is operated on in its cooled condition by said compressor.

FRANK WHI'I'I'LE.

REFERENCES CITED 8 UNITED sums m'm'n'rs Number Name Date Ostergren Mar. '1, 1911 Lesley Sept. 30, 1930 Zevka Dec. 13, 17938 Zweifel Dec. 19, 1944 Larreeq Apr. 23, 1946 Halford Apr. 6, 1948 

